Archive for August, 2013

The Pause Table is a great training tool for teaching and reinforcing a variety of behaviors. Basic obedience behaviors like Sit, Down, Stay can be taught and polished on the Pause Table. Dogs learn quickly when what we want is clearly defined for them. The Pause Table provides these guidelines. The three training benefits provided by the Pause Table are clear perimeters of where to be due to the size of the top, the table top is a different surface than the surrounding floor, and the table is elevated. These three features aid your dog in understanding the desired behavior.

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Training Tip of the Week is a new program that we are starting for our clients and customers at
Agility by Carlson (http://carlson-agility.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f5b39656d4a80b28075adbb11&id=10c34d01d3&e=f1fec941d1) and Gooddogpaws.com

PURPOSE: The mat provides a location for your dog, to wait for further instruction from his owner. The mat becomes a relaxing place for the dog to wait for it’s next instruction which allows greater control over behavior. This is especially helpful for dogs that like to jump or get overly excited when people come to the door.

GOAL: To teach you do to look for the mat when given a specific command (decided by owner) then lay and wait.

TRAINING:

The philosophy is there will be only one spot in the room where the dog will be given a treat – on the mat.

BEGIN WITH DOG ON LEASH, GUIDE TO MAT, CLICK WHEN DOG STEPS FRONT PAW ON MAT. TOSS TREAT ON MAT. ENCOURAGE BEHAVIOR TO HAPPEN BY WALKING AWAY AND BACK TO MAT. CLICK WHEN DOG’S PAW IS ON MAT. DOG MAY STAY ON MAT FOR A FEW CLICKS, BUT THEN WALK AWAY A FEW FEET TO SEE IF DOG WILL STAY ON MAT. IF DOG FOLLOWS YOU OFF MAT, FINE. HOLD CLICKER AND TREATS IN FRONT OF YOU, ALLOW DOG TO SMELL, BUT NOT GET UNTIL THEY MOVE BACK TO MAT. FRONT FEET MUST TOUCH MAT. IF PUP SITS IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU CAN SAY GOOD SIT, BUT DON’T CLICK & TREAT, WAIT AND SEE IF PUP WILL LOOK BACK AND WALK OVER TO MAT. CLICK WHEN PUP GOES BACK TO MAT. IF YOUR PUP GETS “STUCK IN PLACE” YOU MOVE TO HELP THE DESIRED BEHAVIOR TO HAPPEN, WHICH IS PUP STEPPING ON THE MAT. WHEN YOUR PUP OFFERS THE BEHAVIOR OF GOING TO THE MAT, THEN ADD THE VERBAL CUE, “GO MAT”.

As a family we have owned kennels and been training dogs since the late 1970′s. We have trained and titled dogs in the Obedience ring, Breed ring, Field trials, Herding Trials, and Agility trials.
Let us share with you some of the points we have learned along the way.

From the Author House Training for Dummies and the writer of the UGODOG Training manual

UGODOG 5 easy steps

You may want to housetrain your puppy or adult dog to go to the bathroom in an indoor potty area. A dog potty or dog toilet can be some newspapers spread on the floor, a dog litter box (like UGODOGO), or some other device located in a designated area of your home. Here are some housetraining tips that make indoor housetraining a breeze:
• Do consider indoor training if you live in a high-rise apartment, can’t get around easily, and/or have a very small dog.
• Do consider your needs, your dog’s needs, and your home’s layout when deciding where to put the indoor potty.
• Do get a crate for your indoor trainee so that he learns to regulate his potty maneuvers.
• Do use scent and repetition to teach your dog that the indoor potty is the only surface upon which he should take a whiz or make a deposit.
• Do be patient if you move the potty from outdoors to indoors.
• Don’t let your puppy roam freely unless you can watch him.
• Don’t get angry at your puppy for making a mistake; get mad at yourself for giving him a chance to do so.
• Don’t take your indoor trainee outside for a walk or for playtime until after he’s done his business.